The Next Chapter

I made the decision to leave my job! This is huge yall…I have been working for the same company doing pretty much the same thing for the last 8 years. The majority of that time, I loved what I did, but about 2-3 years ago, I started to get burned out. I sucked it up and kept on working mainly because this girl needs to have an income and because I loved the income that I had established over the years. No matter how much I shook that feeling off me, it kept returning and true to form, I kept ignoring it.

Back in July 2011 my manager resigned from his position…I LOVED this guy and hated to see him step down. He was by far the best manager that I have ever had. A new manager was brought in and everything went ok for the first few months with this new lady, but by January of this year, the shit hit the fan and she had the gall to write me up for some bullshit which I opposed vehemently and she and I along with the branch president were able to reach an amicable solution. If I tell you 60 days to the day, this broad came at me again with a write up on some more bullshit. Now mind you, I have worked here for years and have never been reprimanded in any way. All of my performance reviews have been stellar…this broad just wanted to start some shit with me. Again, I end up involving the branch president and this time had to pull in an attorney and get corporate HR involved. At this point, my blood was boiling and I was ready to get up and just walk out the door, without a two week notice or anything….but I didn’t. I issued my resignation 2 weeks ago.

What I realized and finally accepted was that my time; my season was up in this current role. I kept forcing myself into a mold that was no longer made for me. The nudging that I began to feel 2 years ago was a gentle push from God, letting me know that it was time to move on, but instead of taking heed to that nudge. I ignored it and ended up in these precarious work situations. The new manager was the catalyst that God used to put the fire under me that I needed to get up and move (SIDE NOTE: the new manager resigned and accepted a lesser position right after I made the decision to leave—talk about a catalyst). I would probably never have left my job at this point if it were not for her. It’s impossible to grow and be happy in a pair of shoes that are too small and that’s what I was doing. A week after I issued my resignation, I saw this on pinterest and it resonated deeply with me:

So yeah, this is the new chapter…this girl has finally turned the page. What will I do now? I have no clue as of yet. My desire is to stay as far away from corporate America as possible. I have been blessed to work in some of the largest companies in the United States and all of my experiences have been rewarding, however my heart is telling me to develop some of the ideas that I have let lay dormant over the years and I would love to spend some time mentoring young people who have lost their parents as I was one of those that lost her parents at a very young age. I honestly feel that I would be totally fine if I never went back to corporate America. The stress, the politics and the all-around general BS that you have to put up with is just not worth it to me anymore. I am willing to adjust my lifestyle to fit my new income level…and what’s funny is that a year ago I made the pledge to get outta credit card debt and I paid off my last credit card right after Christmas. All of these signs pointed me to the door of my old job…it was just time to change courses. It’s amazing how God will lead you even when we have no clue what’s going on.

Today is my 3rd day of freedom and as strange as it may sound, I am happier now than I have been in a long time. I look forward to new opportunities and just the general excitement of what comes along with this new chapter of my life.

Thursday Thoughts Vol. 4

Tuesday Inspiration

I consider myself a very spiritual person. Anytime I have a problem or an issue, the very first thing that I do is pray. Prayer is important to me as it gives me structure and balance in my life. I have not always been this way, however life has a way of making you fall in line with what is right for you; if you listen and pay attention. The older I get, the less I spend time worrying about things that I have no control over. I have learned that it is a epic waste of time to contemplate how to change or fix a situation that you are not the author of.  Prayer is not an easy thing to rely on at first simply because it takes blind faith and belief that a situation or circumstance will work itself out. People tend to have issues letting go of their problems…you have to let go of the reins of control and allow God to take over. Not many of us are willing to give up control like that. So we pray, turn our issues over to God and as soon as we get off of our knees, we pick the problems right back up. I have been GUILTY of this.

So here is a question, if you’re in constant turmoil and worrying, why pray at all?  Is it just something you do because it’s tradition or do you truly seek God for peace and understanding?  Forming a real relationship with God provides a sense of security, revelation and knowledge. It is impossible for doubt and faith to exist in the same body.  For example, have you ever found yourself in a conversation saying, “I know I should be stronger than this, I have faith BUT, I’m human too and sometimes life just gets too hard? Our mind can sometimes be our worst weapon against self; however, the fact that we can dismiss negativity by adding positives allows us to be over comers in our lives.

As you are dealing with personal issues and such, it’s important to remember that no matter how you feel or what you are going through or what you are thinking right now: God has a plan. Just seek him for an understanding.

The Best Relationship

My Thoughts On Hope

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I am a pretty spiritual person, especially when it comes to things like hope, destiny and just life in general. Hope for me is simply the belief in positive outcomes even when things don’t work out the way I think they should. My hope hinges on my belief in God, therefore if I have hope, then I allow God to guide me in my thoughts and actions. Despite all of the crap I have experienced in my life [refer to my "Journey to Me" Series], I have never been hopeless. I always attempt to be optimistic and see the positive in all things, no matter how bleak. Hope is my life compass, because surely this journey can only get better from here.